Saddle for hat presses



Patented Aug. 30, 1938 PATENT OFFICE SADDLE FOR HAT PRESSES Isidore Reiser, New York, N. Y.

Application October 2,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a hat pressing device and particularly to an improved saddle.

In the manufacture of hats, a roughly formed hat is placed in a hydraulic press and shaped to 5 the finished form. The hydraulic press comprises a saddle inserted in the movable hydraulic die. The movable die rests in the seat of the press. Secured to the head of the press is a hollow rubber bag, the inside of which is connected to a supply of Water under pressure. The head is fixed. While the hydraulic press is being closed, the die, hat and saddle in the movable seat are jointly forced to enclose the crown shaped portion of the rubber bag. The hydraulic pressure is communicated by the rubber bag into the saddle and causes the roughly formed hat which is inserted between the saddle and heated die to assume a finished pressed shape.

It has been found in practice that when the pressing operation is completed and the water pressure is relieved, that the rubber bag becomes interlocked with the saddle in the interior portion thereof due to the vacuum formed between the rubber bag and saddle wall surface. It is necessary to provide means so that air can enter into the said spaces before the said interlocking is released and the pressing members separated from each other.

An attempt has been made to overcome these difiiculties by superposing a strip of rubber on the inner surface of the saddle, the said strip being provided with linear projections forming superposed air passages, with the object of relieving the compressed air when closing the press and with the further object of permitting air to enter between the interlocked surfaces when opening the press. It has however been found that this superposed strip of rubber, being in relief on the inner surface of the saddle, causes an unbalanced 40 pressure against the hat at the said area and forces the sizing between the fibres of the hat body out of the brim surface and damages the hat.

It has been found in practice that the operator has to exert an excessive effort to close the press because of the slow and uneven release of the trapped air. When the operator opens the press to remove the saddle and hat from the die, the

saddle having the superposed rubber projections clings to the rubber bag and slowly breaks loose due only to its heavy weight. The comparatively heavy saddle and attached hat drop against an edge of the die and scratches the finished hat.

This clinging and dropping of the pressing parts annoys and retards the operator in his work.

1937, Serial No. 167,006

The hat and saddle and hydraulic die occasionally cling to the rubber bag as a unit and drop suddenly against the lower portion of the press, with the result that the die is occasionally broken from the shock.

An object of this invention is to provide a saddle preferably having an inner canvas surface and the exposed surface of said canvas having grooves radially positioned therein. The grooves are positioned all around the said saddle and are preferably placed equal distances apart. These grooves extend a distance vertically into the crown of the said saddle and when the pressing operation is complete and it is desired to separate the lower or seat portion of the press from the head, the said grooves permit air to enter all around the saddle simultaneously and it becomes a very easy matter to separate these pressing parts.

I have also found that when my design of grooved saddle is used, there is no damage whatever to the hat body and that the sizing remains substantially in the said body in the position it was normally fabricated therein, resulting in the production of a superior and uniformly pressed hat.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described, and the combination and arrangement of parts will be shown in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims which form part of this specification.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary portion of a hydraulic hat pressing machine, the movable lower portion being in section and showing a saddle having radial grooves in its inside surface and extending A being shaped to conform to the style of hat which r is to be formed in the press. The saddle I0 is designed to be inserted in a die l2 and functions complementary to the die. The die is usually made of aluminum and is also shaped to conform to the style of hat which is to be formed in the press. The die I2 is movable to and from a stationary rubber bag 13 which is distended by fluid pressure to expand within the crown of the saddle Ill and force the saddle against the metal die I2.

The die [2 and the rubber bag 13 and the mechanism for operating them form no part of the present invention, and are merely described in order to more clearly illustrate the invention.

A hat Hi to be pressed into shape is placed on the saddle iii and the saddle with the hat thereon is inserted in the die l2 with the hollow portion facing upwardly. The die 12 and the rubber bag l3 are brought together and the rubber bag is expanded within the saddle l and the hat M is pressed between the die l2 and the saddle Ill and finished to the desired shape.

The expanding rubber bag traps air in the crown of the saddle l0 forming an air cushion, which makes it extremely difficult to close the press.

For the purpose of relieving the air cushion I have provided grooves l5 radially positioned in the inner or canvas surface of the saddle. The grooves l5 extend a distance vertically into the crown of the saddle and permit the air in the air pocket to escape from the saddle. The grooves form a plurality of continuous passages which lead out from the crown of the saddle and outwardly between the grooves of the saddle I0 and the rubber bag l3. The grooves are positioned all around the saddle and are preferably spaced a considerable distance apart. The grooves permit air to escape all around the saddle simultaneously and it becomes a very easy matter to separate the co-acting pressing parts. This air relief means is a permanent part of the hat saddle and makes it unnecessary for the operator to place one or more loose felt pads on the inner surface of the saddle to release the trapped air.

The operation of my hat saddle Ill follows the established practice in hat pressing. The hat is placed on the saddle and both are placed in the die with the hollow portion facing upwardly. The die is raised and the saddle and rubber bag brought together. The fluid pressure is transmitted to the rubber bag and distends the bag and causes the saddle to press the hat against the die. The hat assumes the shape of the die.

The plurality of grooves l5 permit air to enter rapidly between the bag and saddle so that the said pressing parts are easily separated and the pressed hat is stripped from the saddle. This operation is repeated with another hat.

The air cushion is broken practically instantly with my grooved saddle construction and the movement of the pressing parts within each other is not retarded by any trapped air.

My grooved hat saddle is very effective and simple in operation for relieving the air cushion which is formed between the saddle and the rubber bag when closing the press and also to relieve the vacuum and prevent the saddle and die from clinging to the rubber bag when opening the press.

It is to be understood that by the term inside surface or inner surface of the saddle is meant the surface that is in coacting relation with the rubber bag.

The grooves l5 extend the entire width of the brim [6, part way down the vertical walls of the crown and stop short of the transverse surface of the crown. While I have shown eight air grooves I5 in the saddle shown in Figures 1 and 2., I. may provide sixteen or as many as twentyfour grooves.

I claim:

1. In a hat press having upper and lower hat forming members, a concave complementary saddle member insertable intermediate said upper and lower members, said saddle member having a brim and a crown and continuous air relief grooves forming depressions on the inner surface of said brim and crown, each of said grooves ex-- tending intact along said brim and passing downward into said crown, each of said grooves being separated and independent of the other grooves, said air relief grooves being positioned all around said saddle member and being disposed on oppositesides of said saddle member to permit simultaneous air relief all around said saddle member and the free removal thereof from said upper hat forming member.

2. In a hat press having upper and lower hat forming members, a concave and flexible complementary saddle member having a substantially annular brim, and a crown, said saddle member being of intact hat-like form and insertable intermediate said upper and lower members, said saddle member having grooves in its inner surface forming passages below the level of its inner surface, each of said grooves extending along the brim and down the vertical walls of the crown.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein the grooves are positioned at spaced intervals around the periphery of the brim and crown.

ISIDORE REISER. 

